The Lament of Rose Quartz
by VictorianRose99
Summary: Steven, be what I never could be...


The night was warm and humid as Pearl and Rose Quarts sat on the dock leading to the ocean leeched to a colorless black by the silver moon above. The wind did nothing to kill the suffocating stillness. All it did was send the salt of the sea into their eyes and caused them to water. The slimmer let out a sigh.

"Have you told him," the pearl demanded.

"...No," admitted the once great general to the forever loyal knight by her side.

"This didn't have to happen, you know. You could have passed him like the others."

"I almost did."

"Why didn't you?"

"I love him, not like the others. He's not just fascinating, Greg's...amazing. So free and wonder-filled! It's worth it all."

"Worth it all!? You're slowly dying the more you grow that womb!" Pearl shook her head in anger as the tears fell for a different reason then the sea air. Rose was everything she'd known for millennium. And now she was going to be left behind for a _human_! A human. He would die in a few decades and Rose was about about to give up immortality for a few months.

"...There're more than just Greg, Pearl."

"That's not the point!" shouted the frustrated pale being before the newly expecting mother. "The point is that...," the pearl broke down into sobs, " _it should have been me!_ _I've_ been with you since the _beginning_ and now a _human_ has taken _my_ place! Don't you _dare_ tell me it's not true!"

Rose sighed and chuckled. "Pearl? Did you believe that we were meant to... _this_ kind of love, no. Greg would never replace you, though. He knows nothing compared to you and that's...best."

"I wanted to be with you the way that you two are since the day that I heard you in Aventurine Square. A few hundred years after the war had begun on Homeworld. From that day over eight thousand years ago, it was supposed to be us."

"Not if you recall the first two centuries," said the large woman with vinegar.

Pearl's eyes widened at the point the rose quarts had just brought to the surface. "Don't talk about him... _don't ever_..."

"Why? I was supposed to replace him after he was captured in Battle of Beryl."

"...You never knew Carnelian! Don't ever mention him!"

"Oh, yes I do! He and Morado were the generals who trained me to take over for the time _when_ he was captured! Or have you forgotten, Pearl?"

"You didn't love him."

"No," Rose smiled., "he loved a very young, rebelling pearl. She had a fire in her soul that once made a whole army stagger and led her lover to his victory that day."

Pearl could only smile at that memory. "That was the day I met Peridot. She's always been a coward."

Rose laughed at the memory of Peridot running behind Jasper for safety. "Yes. That's the one."

Pearl thought for moment and composed herself.

"What are you other motives, Rose?"

The large woman sighed and bit her lip. "Are you still good at keeping secrets, Pearl?"

When Pearl nodded, Rose turned and motioned. "Come with me."

As they walked through the temple, they saw Amethyst and Greg on the couch. The purple skinned gem was asleep on his lap as he chuckled at a scene of Lil' Butler. Rose smiled and whispered, "See how great he is with kids!?"

Pearl closed her eyes and sighed. "Just show me, Rose."

The gems walked by the warp pad and met Garnet with a serious look on her face.

"Why did you make me find out this way," she whispered, feeling betrayed.

"...I'm so sorry," finally spoke Rose.

"I-I saw this, but I never thought that..."

Garnet silenced herself and looked seriously at the retired general.

"Alright," said Garnet with slight lament. "I understand."

And the tall fusion disappeared into her room. Rose and Pearl walked to the warp pad and disappeared in a spectrum of light, startling Greg and Amethyst on the couch.

"Where are they going?" wondered Greg tiredly.

Amethyst merely shrugged and went for the popcorn on the table in front of them.

When they arrived, Pearl was in slight shock at the scenery of Rose's armory. It had been five thousand years since she'd seen this place. Rose motioned to the slim figure and she followed obediently. When Rose froze in front of a solid wall to the west, it opened automatically. Pearl stood frozen and wide eyed at the huge hallway of gem hieroglyphics painted upon them.

"Let's go," spoke the pink haired gem seriously and she, again, was followed obediently.

"Where are we going," Pearl nonetheless asked.

"To my explanation," said Rose. The two followed down six complicated hallways until they reached a cave-like opening.

Pearl stared at the drawings with wonder, having long forgotten the myths of her people.

"Long ago, when the rebellion against Homeworld, the great mystic Benitoite prophesied that in the distant future, a gem would fall in love with a human. They would bare a son who would gain the mother's gem until they discovered the great sun stone. They would then fuse with a moonstone and form the almighty Universe Stone. Universe Stone would then defeat the tyranny of Homeworld and bring peace to all of gem kind."

Pearl froze. "You? Create a weapon."

"It's the only way."

"Do you really care about Greg, the baby?"

"More than the whole universe. This isn't just out of duty. It is love that caused this. But I have to end this. And it's the only way."

Pearl nodded as tears ran down her face. "I understand..."

Rose went to Pearl and embraced her. "I'm sorry I'm not what you wished for me to be."

Pearl embraced right back, "No, I can be at peace now..."

Of course, she was lying. She would never be okay. Rose was supposed to forever remain with her. Be what Carnelian had not the ability to be. And now, Rose, too, was leaving her behind. Like a wind in the desert.

They never lasted.

Rose tossed and turned in the bed she shared with Greg in her room. Guilt racked through her body with forceful tremors. She turned to the sleeping human beside her.

"Mr. Universe?"

Greg automatically awoke to his angel's voice.

"Rose," he said groggily.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Angel."

"...I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"For what?" inquired the brunette.

"Remember when you said falling in love was torture?"

"Yeah."

"I finally understand," suddenly sobbed the woman as she laid her head on Greg's shoulder.

"R-rose! It's okay!"

"I-it is?"

"Yes! You just need to relax and get some sleep, alright?"

Rose Quarts sighed as she caught her composer before it disappeared.

"Y-you're right. I just...tired."

"Yeah," said Greg tenderly as the woman laid her head on his lap, "I'll be here when you wake up."

As she drifted to sleep, Rose thought. No, Pearl could never be this for her. It wasn't meant to be. If only what _was_ meant to be was meant to last longer.

 _Steven, be what I never could be..._


End file.
